Mop holder



May 19, 1953 C. FATLAND MOP HOLDER Filed March 21, 1951 INVENTOR. C'muzadl Fafilanci 7 Q mm Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOP HOLDER Conrad Fatland, Chicago, Ill. Application March 21, 1951, Serial N0. 216,691

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in that type of mop head wherein the frame is composed of two parts pivotally related to each other so that when the two parts are folded toward each other two facing pockets of a very common type of mop swatch may be easily slipped on and then tightly related to the head by pivoting the two parts into a single plane.

The head of this type of mop swatch assumes many configurations, but a popular one consists of two inwardly directed U-shaped elements pivotally related at their ends so that they may be folded toward each other. In this latter position, a pocket of a double pocket mop swatch may be slipped over each of the U-shaped members and when they are pivoted back into a single plane under the pressure of a spring, the two members fully and firmly seat themselves in the pockets and hold the mop in extended position.

The present invention seeks to provide a simplified arrangement of the two pivoted com-ponents of the head of this type of mop, the feature being that the two components may be readily moved from folded position to extended position or vice versa, and yet they themselves will hold themselves in either position without manual assistance.

The new result obtained resides in the fact that a woman can use both hands in slipping the mop pockets onto the two components of the mop frame, whereas in present constructions, she must use one hand to hold the folded components against the action of a spring while trying to insert two pockets over the two components of the head.

Applicant seeks to attain this end bya simple construction which utilizes a minimum weight of metal and requires a minimum of tooling and assembling. I

- These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained in the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of applicants mop head with a double pocket swatch mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a view from the under side of applicants mop head, with one portion of the head partially folded toward the other;

Fig. 3 is a side view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig-s. 4 and 5 are side and end views of a suggested head construction illustrating how a similar bail action can be obtained by somewhat different cam surfaces.

Continuing to refer to the drawings, a plate l0 has its forward and rearward edges bent downwardly and inwardly to form facing channels l2 and I4. A pair of upright brackets I6 and i8 are riveted to the top of the plate I0 so that'their upright portions are in flush engagement with each other. A handle has its lower end slotted and seated over the brackets I6 and 18. A pin 22, swedged at each end, through both portions of the handle and the brackets, provides a pivoted connection between the handle and the head.

Referring to Fig. 2, the head or plate l0 supports two oppositely disposed similar fiat, frame members, 24 and 26, which may best be described as elastic wire bails, each having a set urging the arms outwardly from a parallel position. Two holes are punched in each channel and the aligned, oppositely directed end lugs of'the bail 26 seat in'two aligned holes and are rigidly held by the fully rolled edges of the plate at points 28. The other bail or frame member 24 is similarly seated in the other two, oppositely aligned holes, but here the wall of the channel forming flange has been cut back along the line 30 so as to form a cam edge. This cam edge, referring to Figs. 2 and 3, starts at about from the surface of the plate In and along a substantially straight line reaches a point about from the plate. When the ball 24 is pivoted out of the plane of the head, the head and the bail must be worked against each other with some force until the arms 32 and 34 have been sprung inwardly sufficiently to clear the shoulders 36 and 38. These two shoulders act as detents holding the arms 32 and 34 in the plane of the mop head. Until the points 36 and 38 have been cleared, the bail 26 will snap back into the plane of the head. Having moved a short distance beyond the shoulders 36 and 38, the bail may be further pivoted easily and it will hold whatever position it is in when stopped. These shoulders 36 and 38 provide additional:means for seating the arms 32 and 34 in the channels. If the shoulders are omitted with the camming edge starting 90 degrees from the surface of the plate Ill, the bail arms still must be snapped out of position and they snap back into the channels after they have moved to the left of a point approximately that of the lead line 30.

The type of opposite double pocket mop swatch All shown in Fig. l is quickly mounted by folding the bail 24, referring to Fig. 2, into the dashdot position 42. As soon as each bail has entered its associated pocket for a short distance,

the user commences to pivot the bail 24 back to its extended or operating position and in so doing this automatically forces both bails into the extremities of their associated pockets.

The construction has two major advantages. Firstly, the user need not hold the bails in folded position with one hand while attempting to insert them into the double pockets with. the other, as is common today in this type of mop wherein a continuously acting spring urges-the bails into extendedposition. A user of applic-ants mop can set the two balls in such folded relation as desired and then use both hands to position the swatch pockets over the bails.

The second advantage of this construction resides in the fact that the entire head is simple to make and simple to assemble, while, nevertheless forming a very firm mop head" with respect to both the mopswatch and the handle attached to the head. The head or plate Hi can be stamped fiat from asingledie with the. cam-edgew-therein. The brackets. It. and I8 are identical and are. readily riveted intoplace. The rolling op eration easily performed.

Referring to Figs, 2 and 3., dimples 44- in the plate it? prevent-the end lugs 45/ and 4.8 ofthe bail 24 from being. disassembled from, the: base. This may alternatively be done by swedging the ends of" the lugs 45 and 48. so as tohave. one; dimension: greater than-the diameter of: the holes in the channels.

There are other ways: of constructing a camming surface which will performthesamefunction as the edges 39; The important thing. is that. these edges squeeze the two: arms 32 and 3A gradually as thebail 2-4: isfmoved out ofthe'plane as the mop head? and toward the other portion o-fqt-hehead. ReferringtoFig. 2-,,thefriction betweerrthe bail arms 3;2.and,34,1and=the cam surfaces must: exceed the tendency of these elastic arms to spread outwardly by sliding, along. the camsurfaces. Additionally, the detent. action performed: by; the shoulders 36 and- 38 could" be otherwise attained.

Thus, in Figs. 4 anci- 5', applicantshows a flat plate; iswhereinthe bail 2.4 has its outwardly directed; end lugs 18 pivotally mounted in a vertioa l sidewall 50: This plate is: a.v little longer than that-shownin-Fig. 2 andhas itsend; 52-. bent upwardly'and back; asshown in Fig; 5.. This: end member has cut-out portions 54: and 56. The wall 58. performs the; same: functionas the edge 301 in the embodiment. shown in" 2'. The shoulder Sfl performsthe: same function as, the shoulder 3.6 in Fig:. 2:

Solongas baillifii's fixed? with relation 1705 the plate lily. it is necessary to bring the bail 214. to position 42: in. order to: mount the swatch because thedistance between the ends-of the; bails in folded? position must: not: exceed the distanceibetween the pocket openings, see Fig. 1.

Having thusdescribed his invention, applicant cl'ai'ms:

1'-. A mop head for holding a double pocket swatch comprising a head, a first flat frame mounted on one side of said head, a second fiat frame pivotally mounted on the opposite side of said head so that it may be swung into and out of the plane of the first frame, a cam on the head with its edge gradually but increasingly penetrating the path of the second flat frame when the latter is swung from the plane of the first frame, whereby as the second frame is swung away from the plane of the-first frame, the second frame more tightly fri'ctionall'y engages the cam edge.

2. A mop head for holding a double pocket swatch comprising a head, a first fiat frame mounted on one side of said head, a U-shaped elastic; spring set bail pivotally mounted by the endsof its arms. on said head and having a normal position in the plane of the first flat frame, and a cam on the head with its edge gradually but increasingly penetrating the path of one of the? bail arms when the bail is swung from its normal position, whereby as the bail is swung away from the plane of the first frame, the arm is'more tightly, frictionally-heldagainst the cam edge.v

3. A. mop head for holding a double pocket swatch comprising a, flat plate, one edge of said plate having a: rOllLat one end anda roll near the other:- end, the edge". of. the plate connecting the two ends of the roll being" along a substantially straight line and constituting a cam, a. similar roll on: the oppositeside. of" the plate, the two rolls forming facing channels, aligned holes through said channelaan elasticU- shapedtbail' having" its ends seated in said holes with its armsiin-thatend of'the. channels having the 90 roll, and a complementary U-shaped frame rigidly mounted in the other end of said channels:

4. A mop for" holding adouble pocket" swatch comprising'a flat plate, a handle mounted thereon; a: roll" in each of two opposite edges of said plate, the roll's'being' on an arc sufliciently large to form two facing channels, the outer edge; of each channel extendingsfrom a point at oneend about QO fronr the surface of the flat plate and extending gradually to a point about: 180 from said plate, a U-shapedbail rigidly mounted by its arms: in the second end of" the channels, and a U- shaped elastic bail" pivotally mounted by its arms in the channel so that its arms. will seat' in the facingchannels and extend beyond the end. having the 90 roll therein.

CONRAD FATLAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES. PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1,112,190a Beaziey Sept. 29'; 1914 1,437,789 Whyte. Dec; 5, 1922 1,526,455 Beaudet Feb. 1'7, 1925 1,613,553 Saul Feb. 22, 1927 2,1923557' Glover" Mar. 5, 1940 

